Customer services

Our customer contact centre is open 10am to 3pm and is operating an appointment only service.

In order to keep customers and staff safe, and to ensure social distancing, the way we operate has changed in line with Public Health and government guidance:

• People will be seen by appointment only, no access without an appointment
• Please attend alone if possible to help with social distancing
• Please arrive at the time of your appointment, there is no waiting areas
• Entrance and exiting the building will be managed by security
• You will be asked about Coronavirus symptoms when booking an appointment, and when entering the building – please do not attend if you have symptoms
• Staff will use PPE and will be working behind screens, you will be asked to sanitise your hands on entrance to the building
• No payments will be taken, all payments must be made online or over the phone.

Remember, no appointment, no entry

Useful information on how to contact other services can be found at our contacts page.

Coronavirus update - tier two restrictions for Darlington

The Government announced that Darlington would be placed into local lockdown tier two restrictions - starting at 00.01am on Wednesday 14 October - in response to a rise in the number of Covid-19 infections in the borough.

The new rules – which apply to everyone in the borough and carry substantial fines if they are broken - mean that:

• You must not meet anyone who is not in your household in a private home – both in Darlington and outside the borough
• You must not socialise with anyone who is not in your household anywhere indoors – including in pubs, bars and restaurants. This applies both in Darlington and elsewhere
• Households can meet outdoors and in private gardens, following the Rule of Six
• People living in single-person households will still be able to meet up indoors with people in their support bubble, also known as a linked household.

 We’ll be doing more updates and reminders about the restrictions to make sure everyone’s clear on how they work.

Councillor Heather Scott OBE, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “I would urge everyone in Darlington to take time to understand these new rules and how they will impact all of our lives. We must all keep working together to help stop the spread of the virus.

“I know many of you will have questions about what this means for you and your family. We are working on a detailed Q&A about the new restrictions. This will be available very shortly.

“What is clear is that the new restrictions will have an impact on people’s lives and businesses. For this reason, we have asked the Government for funding to support local businesses and the most vulnerable in the Borough together with asking for help to locally enhance track and trace.

“We don’t know how long these measures will last, but the more we all work together and do our bit, the better our chances will be of a swift improvement and removal of the measures.

“These are worrying times, but by following the new rules and getting the basics right – washing your HANDS, covering your FACE and making SPACE – we will keep Darlington on the right track.

“I am confident we will get through this together.”

Keep up to date with the latest news at www.darlington.gov.uk/coronavirus